Well, a full year later and I'm back! Let's just pretend I never left, shall we?

For months, I've been craving fried green tomatoes. I don't know if it's the longer-than-ever winter in NYC or just my Southern roots showing, but I was beyond stoked to get my comfort food fix last weekend at Queens Comfort in Astoria.

The restaurant's long wooden tables are perfect for communal sharing and ibibing. As anyone who knows me can attest, I love me a boozy brunch. So, when I found out Queens Comfort was BYOB, I literally skipped my ass over to the nearest liquor store. (OK, OK, so I sent my boyfriend.) The staff was more than accomodating, providing a carafe of orange juice for us to pour with our bottles of champange. I also think it's important to note we got a table for six with NO RESERVATION ON MOTHER'S DAY. Kind of awesome, right?

The friends we were eating with were Queens Comfort pros, so we left the appetizers up to them: three strawberry donuts and an order of disco tots. Now, I'm not a huge doughnut fan, but these straight-out-of-the-oven beauties tasted like real strawberries and none of that processed junk. They rotate flavors (currently it's a riff on a PB&J—I might have to go get a donut.) so make sure to check the menu before you go.

My real love affair with Queens Comfort started with those disco tots. Tater tots make me nostalgic for my youth, when those toasty potato bites were their own food group. But I digress. Topped with gravy and cheddar, these tots were the opitimy of awesomeness. Gooey, crunchy, and easy to dip in even more gravy—can I have these every Saturday?

The best part about having a large group is that you get to try multiple entrees since (hopefully) everyone orders something different. Thankfully, that was the case. Two people in our party ordered the Chicken and Waffles (pictured at the top), and both of them practically licked their plates clean. With a tobasco glaze and maple syrup, plus a dollop of butter and some powdered sugar, the sweet-savory combination worked extremely well together. I opted for the Mushroom Sardou: Poached eggs over sautéed spinach and english muffins topped with a mushroom cream sauce. The dish was earthy yet rich with perfectly cooked eggs. If I'm being honest here, I too practically licked my plate clean. Needless to say, after this meal I went home and took a nice long disco nap.